ARLINGTON, TX – Make it five wins in a row for a surging Philadelphia Eagles team that visited AT&T Stadium on Sunday and blew the doors off the Dallas Cowboys, 34-6, moving the Eagles to 7-2 and first place in the NFC East ahead of the Washington Commanders, who visit Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night.

Philadelphia's defense overwhelmed Dallas, quarterback Jalen Hurts accounted for four touchdowns, and by the early minutes of the fourth quarter, the stadium had more Eagles fans cheering than Cowboys fans in their seats.

For the first time since the 2017 season, the Eagles won at Dallas and in this one, it was a wire-to-wire, dominating win. Here are some observations …

1. Takeaways turn into a touchdown

This can sometimes be a very simple game: When the defense takes the football away and then the offense turns that takeaway into a touchdown, it changes the nature of a game. And that's what happened on the second Dallas offensive possession, when quarterback Cooper Rush fumbled a snap out of the shotgun and defensive tackle Milton Williams ripped the ball away from Rush on the ground. Eagles football, first down at the Dallas 17-yard line.

Four plays later, quarterback Jalen Hurts Brotherly Shoved into the end zone for the score and a lead. Key play on the four-play, 17-yard drive: Hurts checks down to running back Saquon Barkley on a third-and-6 play and Barkley spins and jukes and then powers his way for 13 yards to the 1-yard line – he didn't leap over anyone, but it was a superior run, nonetheless – to convert the first down and set up Hurts for the score.

What's important to note here is that the Eagles have been flying, the turnover ratio has improved from -6 when the Eagles were 2-2 to +1 now that the Eagles are 7-2.

"I think the defense has done a really nice job," Head Coach Nick Sirianni said. "They played a great game today. Forcing that turnover, I think, after our turnover was huge to keep it at 7-3. But they played, I just thought that they played, they started fast. They played great throughout the entire game. I love when we tackle well. I mean, we tackled really well."

2. Along with that, Eagles defense holds … and holds

Philadelphia's offense turned the ball over twice – an interception in the end zone and a lost fumble that gave Dallas possession at the Philadelphia 6-yard line. But here's the thing: The defense was in control the entire time. And when Hurts lost the football late in the first half and Dallas took possession on the 6-yard line, there was reason for concern. The Eagles led 7-3, but you could feel some momentum shifting.

Not with this Eagles defense. Philadelphia limited Dallas to 1 yard on three plays and only gave up a field goal to preserve the lead. Then Hurts put together a 7-play, 84-yard touchdown drive – he was 5-of-6 passing for 60 yards and ran once for 24 yards – finishing things off with a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert and the Eagles led 14-6 at the half. That's complementary football and that's why the Eagles are winners of five straight games.

"We're just balling. We're feeling it. We're all together, all eating as one, and it's showing on the film and it's showing in the game," defensive tackle Jalen Carter said.

3. This 2024 Eagles Rookie Class is coming up big every week

You've seen it and most of the love has been directed toward the first and second picks – Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean – and understandably so. But let's go deeper here. Third-round pick Jalyx Hunt had some playing time early in this game and hustled to the football and had a tipped pass. He's coming.

Running back Will Shipley – keep an eye on him – averaged 32 yards on two returns. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. continues to play well on special teams. Sixth-round draft pick Johnny Wilson had a good handful of reps and blocked well for the running game and also caught his first touchdown pass. DeJean, in addition to his excellent play at cornerback, returned a punt 31 yards. Really, this group has had more of an instant impact than any Eagles Rookie Class in memory. Terrific start for the entire class.

"Well, it means a lot because when you start to get down to the stretch of the season, sometimes I think guys, especially young guys, they try to search for their place on the team, what's their role," Hurts said. "You got to be diligent, you got to be patient."

4. Jalen Hurts doesn't let setbacks keep him down

Sunday was far from the flawless game that Jalen Hurts seeks – he threw an interception in the end zone and lost a fumble deep in Philadelphia territory – and those moments stick with a guy who wants to be great all the time. Well, the rest of the time he was pretty great in this one. Hurts completed 14-of-20 passes and threw touchdown passes to Goedert and Wilson, and he also ran for 56 yards and two more scores.

Dallas had no answers for an offense that just got better and better as the game progressed and Hurts was the catalyst. He had a great throw escaping pressure on the touchdown connection with Goedert and then his throw to Wilson – an instant before Wilson was open – was beautiful as he worked the pocket and bought just enough time to make the play. A routine day of high, high production for Hurts.

"He didn't let one play affect the rest of his game," Sirianni said. "That's what winners do. That's what Jalen Hurts does, and I'm so accustomed to him doing that because when he makes a mistake, he's able to put it in the past. That's not as easy as it sounds. I really do believe that because we're human, we know we make mistakes, and then it ruminates in your mind. And the only thing you can do to really move on is learn from it later and move on and play the next play."

5. A shoutout to the special teams groups

Shipley nearly busted his kickoff returns. DeJean had the huge punt return. KaVontae Turpin was shut down in the punt return game and punter Braden Mann was once again outstanding, averaging 52.0 yards on four punts, and gunners Sydney Brown and Kelee Ringo continued their great, suffocating work in punt coverage. There are big games ahead – ahem, Thursday is one of them – and the special teams have to win the hidden yardage game. They've been up to the task these last several games.

6. Defense! Defense! Defense!

This was a domination – witness the 9 total net yards the Cowboys gained in the entirety of the third quarter – by an Eagles defense that is vaulting to the top of the league total defense rankings. They knew that Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush doesn't possess elite athleticism and arm talent and they played accordingly.

The Eagles went after Dallas. They played tight coverage on the back end. They tackled extremely well. And they shut down the Dallas ground game. The total numbers after three quarters, by which time the score was 28-6: Dallas gained 8 first downs, 107 total net yards; Rush had 34 passing yards; and the Cowboys were 2-for-11 on third down. The Eagles kept the Cowboys out of the end zone on two red zone visits. Bryce Huff had a direct-hit strip-sack on Rush that led to three Eagles points and a 31-6 lead early in a very relaxing fourth quarter.

"It's complementary ball in a sense, one phase of the team having the other phases' back," Hurts said.

"The big guys up front are doing a great job. And the communication is just so good from the D-Line all the to the back and in the safeties," Baun said. "Jalen Carter, playing off end, playing behind J.D. (Jordan Davis), its a blast. Those dudes eat up blocks like no other. It allows us linebackers to make the plays. The back end, we are sitting under routes for them and they are playing up top, and it's just complete trust all along the line. It's a really fun defense to play in and we have some really good guys to make this defense really move."